


The Festival of Din

by ShireBeast



Series: Goddess Festivals [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Nonbinary Sheik (Legend of Zelda), Partying, Pining, Prejudice, Self-Esteem Issues, also impa/hyrule warriors zelda and midna/tp zelda, everyone is gay because i need it, i couldnt think of any other character for his role oop, link/ravio side ship, made up holidays, one-sided... or is it?, shiekah poet is there for reasons, underage drinking (in some laws i guess)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24776056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShireBeast/pseuds/ShireBeast
Summary: Hilda considers herself a logical person, following her brain much more than silly hormones and feelings. She has a dry humor and sharp tongue. Paired with her dark appearance and apparent lack of care for others, she's not the most popular student at the university. Despite what the others say, Ravio knows his best friend is the kindest person he knows.Zelda won't call herself a HOPELESS romantic, despite what her siblings say, but she also won't say she's careful with her heart. She has a perfect boyfriend, Ishto, who loves her more than anything in the world- he tells her with his every breath. So, why does she feel so empty around him? Aren't his love poems and public declarations enough for her?When the autumn winds come, so does the nightly celebrations of Dinday, a holiday filled with masks and mystery. Will this Lorulean be able to show who she really is during these nights of mischief? Will this Hylian be able to follow her heart to true love? The answer lies with in the flames of Hyrule's favorite masqueraded nights.Prequel/Companion piece to Faroreday Festival
Relationships: Princess Hilda/Zelda
Series: Goddess Festivals [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1791925
Comments: 16
Kudos: 16





	1. Grace of a Toddler

**Author's Note:**

> Ayy guess who's at it again with the holidays! This is set years before Faroreday, a year into Ravio's and Link's college time. You might not have to read Faroreday first- this can a stand alone because it doesn't involve Link's family (or Link and Ravio that much, Hilda and Zelda are definitely the focus). It has drama but definitely will have a good heaping amount of fluff as time goes on!

Hilda hurried to shove her textbooks into her satchel as the classroom quickly emptied. The bag easily weighted more than her, she figured, as she slung it over her shoulder. Marketing wasn’t the sexiest major, but she was positive she’d at least get muscles from all these books by the time she earned her degree. That or chronic back pain.

The sweet smells of late flowering plants and ripe fruit trees wafted through the campus as she made her way across the center greens. Birds sang cheerfully as fat, little bumblebees buzzed around the community gardens, the changing leaves looking like crisp flames. A few students here and there dotted the grounds. Some played frisbee or sat on blankets, reading or conversing. A shoeless kid sat crosslegged on a wall, the free spirit singing with a guitar. Hilda passively wondered how he even got up there.

Her allergies, however, were quick to quell any enjoyment of the early autumn air and positive energy of the college. She refrained from scratching her eyes as she treaded through the pollenated field. It was the blurry vision she later blamed for the unfortunate event that followed.

Walking blindly ahead with a determined, one-track-minded goal of getting back to her dorm, Hilda slammed face first into a lamp post. She fell back with a painful grunt, her three ton bag making her fall all that more graceless. She heard a series of sympathetic “ooh”s and muffled, schadenfreude laughter. Dizzily, she sat up, rubbing her face with her hands as embarrassment flooded over the dull ache in head. She took a moment to shake her head, mentally screaming at the sharp pain where her tail bone met the sidewalk.

_Of course,_ she growled internally, _Clumsy Hilly can’t even walk home without a disaster._

She was cut from her mental chastising by a bubbly voice above her. It was tinkling, an airy sound that was not unlike a princess from a children’s movie. 

“Are you alright?” 

Hilda blinked and looked up at the girl leaning next to her, blonde hair and pink maxi dress bellowing around her. Not only did she _sound_ like a Disney princess, she _looked_ like one, too. How hard did Hilda really hit her head?

Big, blue, baby doll eyes gazed at her with deep concern when the Lorulean didn’t answer right away. Hilda blinked a few more times, closing her mouth that she didn’t realize opened.

“Y-yeah,” she stuttered out, accent thick with her nerves. “Sorry for troubling you.”

The blonde laughed slightly, her pink lips curling into a kind smile. “Why on earth are you apologizing? Here.” The girl stood and held out her hand for her. “Do you need ice or anything? That looked pretty painful, I’m not going to lie.”

Hilda stared at her hand for a moment, eyes wide before shaking her head. The girl’s skin was like porcelain with Barbie-pink nail polish that matched her lipgloss. Hesitantly, she took her hand and allowed herself to be helped up. The blonde made a small noise of effort as she pulled and Hilda’s face flushed. 

“Geez, what do you have in there?” The girl teased in that fairy-princess voice, “Bricks of lead?”

It took a moment too long for Hilda to realize the blonde was talking about her book bag. Again, with the grace of a toddler, Hilda stuttered out a nervous response.

“Oh, no, no. It’s my books. You see, I’m a marketing major and I have to take all these math classes and all my professors are keen on only using physical texts. Don’t know why, I think it’s because they’re all so old. The professors, I mean, not the books. I mean, the books are old, too, I guess.” 

The girl smiled sweetly and Hilda’s tongue didn’t stop.

“It’s actually kind of useful to have the text though. It helps me learn the language better because I can’t use the internet to translate the entire thing so I guess that’s good, yeah?”

_Holy Lo,_ she silently yelled at herself, _Stop talking! Who are you? Ravio?_

Fortunately, bless her soul, the blonde nodded with a grin and spoke, effectively saving Hilda from herself. 

“I’m glad you see a silver lining,” she said, “that’s very admirable.”

Hilda bit her tongue and nodded sheepishly. She suddenly realized she was still holding the living-doll’s hand. Hastily, she pulled away, adjusting her strap over her chest.

“W-well, thank you for your help,” she stammered, “I’ll, uh, see you around?”

For a moment, she doubted that was the correct phrase because the girl looked puzzled for a brief moment. Yet, that sunny smile pulled across pink lips again and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle.

“Yes! I’m Zelda, by the way!” 

The girl, Zelda, held out her hand to Hilda.

“Hilda,” she said, taking Zelda’s hand and shaking it.

There was a beat as the blonde’s smile grew brighter, if that was even possible. 

“Hilda,” Zelda repeated as if saying her name would bring world peace. The Lorulean could of died right then and there as Hytopia Barbie nodded again, seemingly content with the introduction. “Well, Hilda, it’s a pleasure. Are you sure you don’t need ice?”

“I’m sure.” She glanced behind Zelda, noticing the small group that was watching them. One of them, a tall boy with white hair, seemed to be glaring. Perhaps it was just the sun…

Zelda turned to see what caught the other’s eye and laughed. “Those are my friends.” She waved and the others waved back, save the white haired boy. “And my boyfriend, Ishto.”

Ah. Definitely glaring, then.

Brushing off the sudden disappointment that deflated Hilda’s heart, she gave the group a half hearted wave. Most gave her one back, quickly going back to their conversations after confirming Zelda’s comfort. Except, of course, the boyfriend. Hilda could take a hint.

“It was nice meeting you, Zelda,” she said hastily, “Thank you for your help again.” She gave a curt nod, hiding her blushing cheeks. Before the beautiful blonde could respond, Hilda hurried away. It was the pollen in her eyes that clouded her vision, she told herself, not tears. No one cries over someone they just met. No one cries over finding yet another straight girl that couldn’t like her back. Just pollen. 

…

“Yikes! What was _that_ about?”

Zelda glanced up at her sibling’s girlfriend with slight annoyance. Midna was never one to beat around the bush, the giant of a woman as brash as her appearance. Sheik had told Zelda that was one of the things they loved about her. Zelda told them she was just rude.

“I never saw someone slam themselves into a pole like that,” Midna continued with a chuckle. “Was she high or something?”

Before Zelda could respond, the others started with their own comments.

“Maybe she just has mind troubles,” Impa said. Zelda’s sister, Artemis, nodded with her girlfriend. Midna snorted. 

Sheik sat crosslegged on their blanket, shaking their head. “That was one of the exchange students with that ‘new start’ program. Helga, or something. I’ve seen her by the co-op dorms before.”

Before she could correct them, Ishto wrapped an arm around Zelda’s shoulder, leaning heavily on her. “Aw, Zelly. You’re always so sweet trying to befriend the misfits.”

She blushed and looked down. “I mean, she was obviously hurt. I’m just glad she’s okay.”

Her boyfriend hummed thoughtfully. “You’re so wonderful. Gods, how is it I ended up with someone so precious?”

She giggled as he kissed her cheek, her blush deepening. “I believe it was your poetry, Ishy.”

Midna made a gagging noise as Sheik rolled their eyes. Impa and Artemis, however, shared a sly look.

“Zel,” Artemis said, causing her little sister to look at her with wide eyes, “There’s a mask party Friday night at Daltus Hy. Why don’t you invite that Helga girl? Help her find some friends that aren’t lamp posts.”

That caused them all to laugh, save Zelda and Ishto. However, Zelda did smile and nod. 

“That sounds like a good idea!”

Ishto’s eye twitched slightly. “Yeah, but… Isn’t she from Lorule?”

The girls and Sheik looked at him, Impa’s unimpressed expression daring him to continue his thought. Dared he did. 

“They’re not the most accepting bunch. They have all those anti-gay shit beliefs. She’d probably be a huge ass.”

Impa sighed and shook her head. “Ishto, you can’t judge a person based on their homeland. Besides,” she flashed a devilish grin at him, “if she’s a bigot, we’ll just drop-kick her out.”

Midna cheered, either in agreement to not judge people or for the prospect of violence, no one was really sure. Ishto didn’t seem too convinced.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt, is all.” He hugged Zelda closer to him, kissing her forehead.

She giggled and shook her head. “I can take care of myself, Ishy.”

Another gagging noise came from Midna as Zelda kissed her boyfriend. Her arms went around his neck as he pulled her a bit too close for public decency. It wasn’t long before the two of them were excusing themselves, Midna shouting after them to wear a rubber. Sheik smacked her arm as Zelda’s face turned bright red with her bubbling laughter.

——

“Yikes, Hil. You get hit by a bat or something?”

Ravio was leaning over the sofa in their dorm room, close enough to her face that she could count his eyelashes. He furrowed his brows as he studied the welt that was angrily swelling on her forehead. She grumbled and pushed him away, gently enough not to hurt him but firm enough for him to get the hint.

“I just fell. It’s no big deal.”

He didn’t look too convinced, his brow still furrowed and mouth in a tight frown. Still, he shrugged it off. If she didn’t want to talk about it, there was definitely no use trying to get her to. The girl was a locked chest when she wanted to be. He pulled away from the sofa with a spin, heading into their kitchenette as he called over his shoulder.

“Link’s coming over tonight, by the way!”

Hilda bit back a groan. Link coming over meant only one thing to her: she would have to find somewhere else to be for at least half the night. She loved her best friend, she really did, and his silent boyfriend was… endearing, she guessed, if not a little unnerving (she never had any idea what he was saying and if, gods forbid, Rav left them alone, it was always a terribly awkward time for both of them). However, the boys’ nights together were becoming even more frequent which meant more nights in the library alone with only her homework as company.

“Can’t you guys go over to his dorm for once?”

She heard him scoff and she fought the urge to get up and punch him.

“He has _three_ roommates, Hilly.” His mess of black hair leaned through the doorway, face serious. “And they’re all _jerks._ Luckily, I have my best friend who also happens to be the _best_ roommate in the whole wide world!”

He gave her a cheeky grin and she felt her anger simmer down. It wasn’t Ravio’s fault that this was the only real option. She owed him this, anyway. So what if she had to sit a few hours in the library? She liked to read. And it was quiet, too. Heck, she could get some work done, to boot. It was the least she could do to make Ravio happy. It’s her fault they were there anyway.

It was only three years ago that Ravio told his parents. Three years ago they claimed they had no son, just a disgrace to their family name. Hilda’s parents were kind enough to let him live in their spare room for his last year of high school, saving the poor boy from life on the streets- or worse. Months of apologies meant nothing; Hilda couldn’t forgive herself even if her best friend did. She was so certain it would work out, so certain that if he came out, everything would be okay. When _she_ came out, her parents were accepting, telling her that they loved her no matter what and that she was still their little girl. Why wouldn’t Ravio’s? He said it wasn’t the best idea telling them, that his parents were much different than hers. She pushed him, saying he’d feel better if he didn’t have this secret hanging over him. He said he was scared, she told him it would be okay. She should of listened to him.

The transfer program was a gift from Lolia herself. It was advertised in the councilor’s office, a flashy flyer that read, in big rainbow letters, “The Knight Foundation’s New Start Project.” It was like a switch had gone off in her once lazy best friend, his fear and depression making way to fiery determination. Ravio spent the next three months writing essays, creating advanced projects and papers, and collecting letters of recommendation from his teachers. She had _never_ seen him so motivated in her life. At the suggestion of one of their teachers, Ravio learned Hylian Sign on top of the Hyrulean spoken and written language. “Anything to stand out,” he had told him, “you will get there if you work hard.”

He was right. Ravio received a full ride to a university of his choice, room and board included. Everything was paid for— textbooks, dorm furnishings, food, everything —as long as he kept his grades up. The day the letter came in the mail, Ravio sat on her bedroom floor sobbing in relief. She held him, saying she was so proud of him, that he was going to do great things. She didn’t expect him to ask her to come with him.

He told her he knew it wasn’t realistic, but he wanted her to come to Hyrule with him. He wanted them to start over in a place that wouldn’t threaten them over who they loved, where fear didn’t accompany every introduction, where strangers weren’t enemies until proven otherwise. It was a new start. She agreed.

Luckily, Ravio’s top choice was a school that she could realistically get in to and pay for. Her parents supported her and whatever she couldn’t afford with loans and scholarships, they helped with. Everything was set and the two Lorulean teens started college together… in a completely foreign country that she had never been to.

Hilda quickly realized she may have made a mistake. While Ravio spent countless days learning the language, Hilda mostly flipped through a dictionary and called it a day. It took the whole first semester for her to be comfortable enough to leave the dorm without a translation app or Ravio. He helped, basically refusing to speak or answer her in their native tongue for a few days at a time. _That_ was annoying, but it did more than hours of studying could ever do. She was finally getting settled into this whole new world.

And then Link came along.

At first, Hilda was ecstatic that Ravio had found a boyfriend. It was a dream come true, really! Such progress for him! However, the green eyed monster followed very closely behind. Every small giggle Ravio got from whatever the Hylian said with his hands tugged a bit on Hilda’s heart. The boy brought over silly gifts for him, endearing little keychains of rabbits or kittens, the sound of them clacking together on his keyring causing her to feel sick. He’d bring over cookies with love notes— _love notes, for gods’ sake!_ —wrapped around them for Rav. Every little thing the blond did was so full of thoughtfulness, of effort, of _love_ , it was enough to make Hilda heave. 

But one the worst thing that clawed at her insides was the way they’d look at each other. Link’s blue eyes would almost shimmer as he gazed at Ravio’s through his eyelashes, a carefree smile on his face. It was as if Link was only aware of one thing in the whole world, the whole galaxy, and that thing was Ravio. And Rav would give that look back. It was so full of admiration that Hilda could probably bottle it and sell it to people as a drug. It made her skin crawl.

It wasn’t that she wanted Ravio or Link to look at her like that, gods no. It wasn’t even that she felt abandoned by her best friend in a strange land that she felt lost in (well, actually, that was a big part of it, yes). No, what Hilda was most bitter about, most jealous of, most outraged about, was that she didn’t have someone to look at her like that. She _never_ had that. Deep down, she felt she never would. 

“Earth to Hilda!”

Hilda blinked, pulling out of her pity party to look at Ravio. He was fully dressed, hair combed and arms crossed. His face was laking his silly grin, instead sporting an expectant pout. Oh, right.

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled, “I’ll leave you guys alone tonight.”

“That’s not what I asked you. Where you even listening?”

“Oh,” she said, sheepishly smiling, “Perhaps repeat your question?”

He sighed and shook his head, a small smile finding his face. “I asked if you wanted to hang out with us tonight. I told Link about the horror films you like. The one with the alien dudes and swords?”

She tilted her head to the side, lips pursed. “You mean _Usurper_?”

Ravio nodded. “Yeah, that one. He wanted to see it and I figured because, you know, it’s your favorite…”

He trailed off, rubbing his arm absentmindedly.

She couldn’t help but snigger. “Rav, you _hate_ those movies.”

“I-I don’t _hate_ it!” He cried, “I just… Don’t like the scary bits.”

“Ravio,” she said evenly.

“Hilda,” he tried to say just as evenly. The small quiver was still there.

“That whole series is ‘a scary’ bit,” she teased. He shifted from foot to foot as she snickered again. “That’s the face of a man who knows he made a mistake.”

“Sh-shut up! He seemed interested and I wasn’t about to be-“

The bumbling fool was interrupted by a quick knocking at their door. Hilda smirked as she rushed to get it before him. Link’s face blanched as she swung open the door. 

“Password?” She asked cooly. She wasn’t truly expecting an answer, maybe just some HSL that she didn’t know, but Link actually opened his mouth and _spoke,_ causing the world to halt for a brief moment.

“H-hey, Hilda.”

Hilda’s heart dropped. The look of shock must of been too apparent on her face, causing Link to awkwardly scratch the back of his neck and look away from her. Luckily for both of them, Ravio barreled past her and grabbed Link in a bone-crushing hug.

“Mr. Hero! You did it!”

Whatever the Hylian responded with was lost to Hilda’s ears as her stomach dropped and her mind blanked. The kid never spoke- not to _her,_ at least. Ravio said it was something about trauma and he was helping him out. Hilda never expected to hear his voice, but there it was. As her best friend showered praise after praise on his boyfriend, she felt her envy crack darkly into anger. It wasn’t fair.

She shook her head. What was _wrong_ with her? She should be happy for the kid! Ravio helped him with something that was disabling him! It was a _good_ thing!

“That was as good as any password,” she said, hoping her chuckle hid her nauseous mood. “I’ll let you two celebrate, yeah? I’m going out.”

Ravio looked from Link to her, about to voice his concerns, but Hilda just waved him of and told them to have fun. The door clicked behind her and she wasted no time in running to the library.


	2. Hytopia Barbie

Zelda ran a brush through her long, golden hair, humming softly to herself. It was a peaceful night as any, Ishto leaving her bed not long ago with promises of sweet tomorrows. He was lovely, truly. He was a poet, sensitive and kind, that always seemed to be basking in her light when ever she was near him. Who could ask for a better boyfriend, really? He was thoughtful, always thinking of her needs first, never letting her forgot that she was the light of his life. 

Yet, although she tried not to, she often compared herself to her older siblings. Artemis, with her perfect grades and strong body, was always a leader. Mother had said she was destined for great things, things that people only dreamed of. Zelda didn’t know what she meant, but she believed her. Artemis was practically perfect in every way. The ideal eldest daughter.

While it was true that Artemis was reserved, she still had an air of authority to her that made people pay attention to her. Sheik, on the other hand, was more held back. Sheik was more than happy to step out of the limelight and drift through the shadows. They were happiest when they had a high seat and a good view. Nothing got past them. No matter how hard Zelda would try to keep a secret, whether it was told to her or her own to keep, Sheik knew about it. How they did, Zelda could never figure out. Mother once said they got that from Mama’s side of the family, causing Mama to bark out in her thunderous laughter.

It would only make sense that her two wonderful siblings have wonderful partners. Impa, with her lithe frame and no-nonsense attitude, was a perfect fit for her sister. They were an ideal team, their bond not unlike two monarchs. They were the storm, Artemis the crackling lightning and Impa the powerful thunder. 

Meanwhile, Sheik and Midna were two sides of the same coin. Whoever said opposites attract must of known something worth knowing. Sheik was ice and howling wind where Midna was flames and burning sunbeams. Midna was loud and brash, always ready to head into action while Sheik would hold back in quiet assurance. They were two halves of a whole, night and day that made a blossoming twilight.

Zelda slid the brush through her hair one last time, satisfied by the silky texture it now had. It wasn’t that Ishto wasn’t a wonderful boyfriend, but she often wondered if she had an ideal match like her siblings had. She turned to her vanity’s mirror, pulling her hair back into a braid for the night. Ishto had said her hair was the golden rain of dawn and was a blessing just to touch. She scrunched her noise at her reflection. It just looked like hair to her. Perhaps that’s why she needed him, to remind her that she was a goddess. After all, all women are goddesses, right? She sighed, weaving her hair together over her shoulder. 

Everything was perfect. She had a loving family, a great GPA, a wonderful boyfriend, a beautiful face (which she was reminded of more often than not)… Why did she feel so empty? Once more, she sighed, tying a ribbon to hold her braid in place. 

_It’s still early evening,_ she thought to herself, _no use being cooped up in my room like a caged bird._

She pulled on an oversized sweater and made her way down to the commons. She didn’t really know where she was going, but anything was better than staring at her self in the mirror and worrying about nothing.

…

Hilda flipped through her textbook, lazily skimming over the chapter summaries and pretending that was the same as studying. The stock photos of stereotypical business people smiled at her with cheesy poses and motivational captions. She snorted softly at one particular image. It was a generic male model with a suit and tie, his thumbs up and his face plastered with a goofy grin. _‘How to build moral like a pro’_ was written under his picture as if a grin and confident arm flex would actually help anyone.

She pulled out her sketch book as sudden inspiration took hold. Scrambling to find her pen, she flipped to a fresh page. She lightly scribbled a frame of a large man, a fearsome looking beast with sharp fangs and monstrous claws. She put him in the same pose as the stock photo, teeth gleaming and muscles bulging. She smirked as she copied the caption verbatim, adding a word bubble and teeny hearts for extra effect. 

“Hilda! Gosh, am I happy to see you here! I’m glad I’m not the only late night bookworm in town!”

Hilda nearly jumped in her seat as Zelda’s bubbly laugh appeared next to her. Stomping down the butterflies in her stomach, Hilda turned and smiled. 

“Is that so?” She tried to sound aloof, a calm and cool tone that hid her excitement of the welcomed company. Eagerness was the same as hope, and hope was always the worst thing for dead-end crushes. “I won’t take Hytopia Barbie as a heavy reader, late night nor other time of day.”

Zelda grinned and plopped herself down on the chair next to her, her oversized sweater making her look small and cozy under the thick wool. Her golden hair was braided and pulled loosely over her shoulder with loose wisps curling lightly next to her pink cheeks. She was adorable.

Again, Hilda smushed those butterflies like the damn bugs they were.

“It might surprise you that this ‘Hytopia Barbie’ is actually a physics major and _very much_ an active reader, thank you very much.” 

There was no malice nor offense in her voice, just simply a teasing glint in her baby blue eyes. Hilda was still quick to apologize in her own way.

“Sorry,” she said, flipping her violet hair to the side in a showy gesture. “Usually when people look like they walked out of a story book, I tend to assume they’re of the same substance.”

She knew she was being rude and was more than shocked when Zelda giggled.

“Like how people assume Zora princes aren’t just huge dorks that spout encouragements?” 

Hilda blinked a few times, processing what the blonde just said. Her short circuiting brain must of been smoking because Zelda tapped on the still open sketch book on the table. A pink blush tinted the girl’s cheeks.

“That’s Prince Sidon, is it not? From the _Usurper_?”

“Oh,” Hilda said quietly as her brain caught up. “Yeah, it is. You know that series?”

She silently cursed herself for asking such a stupid question. Of _course_ she knew the series! How else would she have noticed the blatant fan art?

“More than _know_ ,” Zelda quipped, giggling again, “Its one of my favorites. Have you read the books, too? Or just the movies? I can respect either one, no judgement here.”

Hilda found herself smiling. “I’ve read all the books, even the off-canon ones. In fact, I have the deluxe editions of all the movies- the ones with the extended scenes and author commentary. To say I love it might be an understatement.”

Zelda’s eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together, her smile turning into a large grin. “You do!?”

Hilda nodded proudly. They were lucky it was so late and the library was mostly empty, or else they would have gotten some nasty glares from the volume the blonde squealed at. 

“You _have_ to let me come over and watch it,” Zelda practically begged, “I’ve been looking everywhere for a good quality copy of the commentary but I can’t find it _anywhere._ ”

Before Hilda could think better of it, she nodded. “Of course. Any fan of Sidon is a friend of mine.”

Another happy squeal from the Hylian and Hilda suddenly found herself in a bone crushing hug. Before her mind could again fully process, Zelda pulled away.

“I almost forgot!” The blonde was basically bouncing in her seat. “There’s a party at one of the sororities this Friday. I want you to come.”

Hilda blinked. It didn’t seem like a request or an invitation, more of a heads up of what was going to happen. Not sure how she felt about that, Hilda retreated back to her usual tactics- cool and aloof. 

“I guess,” she said smirking, “It’s not like I have anything better to do on a Friday night like parties or friends of my own. Perish the thought.”

Again, Zelda didn’t seem bothered by her harsh sense of humor. 

“Unfortunately for you, that works for me,” the blonde said, a bit too cheerfully. “If you find yourself with ‘something better’, maybe bring those friends along? The more the merrier, I always say!”

Hilda laughed, more of a soft scoff than anything. “I’ll see if my roommate wants to come, but no promises. What house is it at?”

“Daltus Hy! It’s the last one by the Eldin hall. Can’t miss it.” 

Again, Zelda’s tinkling laugh filled the air and Hilda felt those damn butterflies again. 

“Oh!” The blonde’s eyes went wide as she suddenly remembered an important detail. 

Hilda raised an expectant brow.

“It’s a Din’s Fest party!”

Hilda frowned. “What does that mean?”

Zelda’s sunny smile returned. “It means you have to wear a mask!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, a fandom created for a fanfic... from the own fandom that fic is part of. Don't think too hard on it.


	3. Shopping Spree!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Enjoy~

Hilda hesitated before unlocking her door. There was a _reason_ she had to leave the boys alone and, by gods, she did _not_ want to walk in on that reason. She gave a hardy knock and waited. The sounds of hastily dressing boys and not-so-quiet cursing came before Ravio’s flushed face appeared.

“Welcome home!”

He was breathless, hair a mess and that cheeky grin on his face. She gave a low chuckle and walked past him, trying not to look too long at the red faced Hylian curled on their sofa with a blanket wrapped tightly around him. However, he was the only one she could probably help with her current dilemma.

“Link,” she cooed, “I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.”

Link looked up at her with as much trust as a deer before a pack of wolves.

“I’ll let you get dressed first,” she added, snickering as she left for the kitchenette, “I’m not that cruel.”

Safely out of view, she heard the blond scrambling to dress himself. She didn’t have to turn around to know Ravio was glaring at her. Ah, yes, how _dare_ she make his poor boyfriend feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t like Link was an adult and could make his own decisions. Another black stab of bitterness jabbed at her and she quickly brushed it aside. Now wasn’t the time.

“Okay,” Link muttered, his voice groggy and barely audible.

She turned to face him, arms crossed. She tried to make her expression more friendly, smiling to combat her resting-bitch face.

“Since you’re from here, I assume you know your basic culture, yeah?”

Ravio shot her a death glare that she ignored. Beating around the bush was not something she liked to do. Was she rude? Yes. Did she care? Not really.

“Y-yeah, c-can…” Slowly, Link’s voice tapered off. He made a low growl of frustration before turning to Ravio and signing something. Ravio nodded.

“He said ‘it depends on what you consider culture’,” the Lorulean translated.

Hilda smirked. Good. She’d get answers. “What in the world is a ‘Dine feast’?”

Link tilted his head, a blatant look of confusion on his face. Suddenly, he snorted, grinning slightly. Hastily, he made more gestures, his HSL fast as he looked at her with amusement.

“‘You mean, D-I-N-F-E-S-T.’ Oh,” Ravio translated again, reading out Link’s finger spelling, then repeated it as a word. “Din fest.”

Hilda shrugged and Link chuckled. He continued as Ravio translated, Hilda finding herself more than pleased with the arrangement.

“‘It’s another name for Dinday, a goddess holiday. I guess it’s just a Hylian thing. We have feast days for the three main goddesses. Din being power and fire and whatnot. People get dressed up in masks and have huge parties. It’s mostly an excuse to get shit-faced and set stuff on fire.’”

“That… raises more questions, but I guess arson is _one_ way to celebrate things.”

Her comment earned her another snorting laugh from the Hylian.

“‘You’re not wrong. I’m guessing you’re not asking just to learn more about Hyrulean customs. Someone ask you to a mask party?’”

Ravio turned to her after the last translation, eyes wide. “You got invited to a party?”

Hilda scoffed and crossed her arms again. “Why do you say that as if it’s completely unheard of?”

Link tapped on Ravio’s shoulder, causing him to turn so he could voice for him again.

“‘Because it is completely unheard of. You’re about as friendly as a rattle snake.’” Ravio’s eyes widened as he realized what he just said. “ _Link!_ ”

Hilda laughed, a genuine chortle making her shoulders shake as the blond smirked at her and his boyfriend frowned.

“For your information, yes. I did get invited to a party. My…” she paused, finding it strange to refer to Zelda as this when they only met twice. “… Friend invited me. It’s this Friday and apparently I have to get dressed up.”

Ravio gasped. “That’s great, Hilly! Who’s your friend? Are they cute? Did you met in one of your classes? Can I meet them?”

Link slapped his arm lightly with the back of his hand, effectively slowing the boy’s barrage of questioning. Hilda smirked, adding another point for the blond in her book.

“You can come to the party,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “In fact, she said I can invite anyone I want. You two want to come? I don’t have any masks or whatever but I’m sure we can figure something out.”

Ravio’s face lit up, a toothy grin making his noise crinkle ever so slightly. “Yeah! That sounds fun!”

Link seemed less than enthused, but nodded anyway. Tapping his boyfriend’s shoulder, he was translated again for her.

“‘I guess I’ll have to take you both costume shopping.’”

———

Ishto linked his arm around Zelda’s as they walked through the mall’s foodcourt. They were meeting Impa and Artemis for a lazy day off, but the poet insisted they get some shopping done before they met up.

“Our outfits have to be matching,” he said as he gestured with his free hand. “I was thinking perhaps a bee and a flower.”

Zelda giggled. “I don’t think a yellow and black dress would look that good on me,” she teased.

He frowned. “ _I_ would be the bee. Besides,” he added as he grinned at her. “I believe you’d look ravishing in any outfit. You’re beautiful.”

She rolled her eyes, smiling. “Well, everyone’s going to expect us to be cutesy. Why not something scary? Just to mix things up.”

Ishto hummed in thought, his brow furrowing. “Like a witch and her cat?”

“I was thinking more like a swamp demon or a devilish hell boar, but you’re on the right track.”

“Why on earth would you want that?”

Zelda pouted. Ishto sighed.

“Fine,” he said, “We’ll meet in the middle. A skullkid and a fairy…?”

“As long as I get to be the skullkid,” she replied, giggling as she leaned on his shoulder.

He chuckled and kisses her temple. “Whatever you wish, my darling.”

They continued on their shopping expedition hand in hand, Zelda leaning against Ishto more often than not. After buying her a new pair of pumps and skirt, more make-up and scented candles, the young Sheikah linked their fingers together as he sweetly compared his girlfriend to the autumn sun. She smiled and thanked him, calling him wonderful and talented and gave him a gentle reminder to not spend so much money on her. A costume pop-up shop was their last destination and Zelda all but dragged her boyfriend to the spookier section. She grinned wildly as she held up a beaked mask with red eyes.

“This one would be perfect, don’t you think?” She pulled it to her face and wiggled her hips.

He laughed, picking up a smooth black and purple mask with feathered wings. “You’re a perfect imp, I must say, my love.” He brought his own mask to his face, cocking his head to the side. “How do I look?”

She let out a giggle. “Beautiful!”

“Not as beautiful as you,” he immediately chirped.

She rolled her eyes, thankful for the mask. Why couldn’t he just say thank you? Not _everything_ was about her. She tied the string around her head to keep the costume on, making sure it would be comfortable for the whole party. It was never fun to have to take it off before the end reveal.

_I wonder if I could fit a straw through the beak,_ she mused, _I don’t want to take it off just to drink…_

She was cut off from her thoughts as a flash of purple hair caught her eye. Her heart jumped and she grinned as she spotted Hilda with two boys entering the store. She didn’t know why she asked, but she did.

“Ishy,” she whispered playfully, “Can you go see if the fitting rooms are available? I want to see how you look with the full get up.”

He grinned, grabbing the bagged outfit from the wall. “Whatever you wish, my goddess.”

Again, she was thankful for the mask. As Ishto hurried away, she snuck towards the group of three, trying to keep her snickers quiet. The blond boy was the first to spot her, but with a quick finger to her beak, he smirked and feigned ignorance. She sneaked up behind Hilda, barely containing her laughter before she-

“Listen, creep. If you’re trying to scare me, you’ll have to try _much_ harder than that.”

Zelda straightened, pouting. “That’s not fair,” she whined, “How did you know?”

She missed the way red eyes widened and ears pinked, but the boys sure didn’t. The two exchanged sly looks, smirking.

“You’re not the quietest, Hytopia Barbie,” Hilda quipped, turning to face her. The Lorulean grinned wickedly. “Nice face.”

Zelda giggled, pulling the mask off. “Thank you.” She glanced at the other two and beamed. “I’m Zelda, by the way.”

The black haired one smiled so big that his nose crinkled and eyes squinted. “I’m Ravio! Hilda’s best friend. And this is my boyfriend, Link.”

_Oh, wonderful!_ Zelda mentally cheered, _Ishy was wrong about her ideals!_

She clasped her hands together, her smile never faltering. “Did Hilly tell you about the party on Friday? You two should come!”

Was it too bold of her to call Hilda that? She didn’t know, but it didn’t hurt to try. By the way the girl bit her bottom lip as she smiled, Zelda figured it was safe.

“She did,” Ravio said, nodding eagerly. “We’re here getting costumes. Me and Hil never been to something like this. Lorule doesn’t have Goddess days or whatever.”

Zelda gasped, eyes alight. “You mean I get to share your _first_ Din’s Fest!”

Hilda’s cheeks pinked, most likely from embarrassment.

“Wow,” she teased in that dark cool voice, “Nothing gets past you, Barbie.”

“My powers of perception are unprecedented, you know,” Zelda quipped right back.

Link snorted, covering his smirk with his hand.

“And your grasp on the obvious even more so,” Hilda said with a smirk.

The blonde giggled, fiddling with her mask as her chest bloomed with a warm pride. No one spoke to her like this. No one ever teased and joked with such roughness. It was… refreshing. Liberating almost. A sparring match with words instead of rapiers. It was a dance in a way, and Zelda couldn’t help but crave more.

“That is also true,” she said, “And I see that you-…”

She was cut off by arms snaking around her waist from behind. Ishto leaned his chin on her shoulder as he studied the trio.

“The fitting rooms are closed right now,” he stated flatly, “And we should get going anyway. You sister’s going to be pissed if we’re late.”

Zelda’s heart sunk to her stomach. How could she forget about Artemis? As much as she didn’t want to leave, Ishto was right. Poor punctuality was one of her sister’s biggest pet peeve.

“Oops! I almost forgot.” She giggled half-heartedly as she turned to kiss his cheek. “I guess we’ll have to buy the outfits later.”

Link and Ravio wore matching expressions: confusion. Zelda didn’t think much of it as she pulled away from Ishto’s embrace and placed the mask down.

“It was lovely meeting you, Ravio, Link.” She gave them a large smile before glancing at Hilda. “And it’s _always_ wonderful running into you, Hilly.”

Hilda’s smirk was gone, replaced by a neutral frown. “Yeah,” she simply said.

“We’ll see you Friday,” Ravio said cheerfully.

Before they could continue, Ishto took Zelda by the hand and led her away. She was so lucky to have such a thoughtful boyfriend. Without him, she would have probably forgotten all about her meet up.

…

“What was _that_ about?”

Hilda ignored Ravio as she browsed the aisles of masks. She was apparently in a forest creature section. Koroks were too cutesy for her taste so she picked up one of a bird.

“I can’t believe she has a boyfriend,” he continued.

She traced the edges of the mask before putting it down again.

“Like, she was totally flirting with you!”

She rolled her eyes. “Rav,” she warned.

“Maybe she’s a two-timer,” he went on, “Oof, it would be a good thing to avoid that then. What a mess.”

She flitted through other masks as her best friend continued. Zelda was _not_ flirting with her. She’s straight. She has a boyfriend that she obviously adores. She’s a beautiful woman with more charm than Hilda could ever have. No, Zelda was _not_ flirting with her. Not with clumsy Hilly.

“I mean, like, who just flaunts over and flirts relentlessly just to flake off with Mr. Serious?”

“Ravio,” Link grumbled, “Drop it.”

Hilda sighed as she added another point for Link in her book. She lifted a yellow fox mask and studied it.

“Link? Is this some character?”

The Hylian glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “It’s a Keaton.”

She glanced over at him. “What the hell’s a Keaton?”

He chuckled. “They’re like little spirits. The play tricks and tell riddles to people. If you answer all a Keaton’s riddles or questions, they grant a wish. It’s an old folk tale.”

Hilda hummed and turned the mask over in her hands. It was cute in a way, with its smiling eyes and pointed ears.

“A wish granter, huh,” she mumbled, “I think I found my mask…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the party, my dudes 👀


	4. ...Je m'applle...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *tour guide's voice* And if you look to your right, you can see that the author ALSO has never been to a big, greek-life party!
> 
> Yeah so this is mostly pulled from what I know from my cousin, an actual sorority girl, and the few other types of parties I've been to. ((And movies but shh))
> 
> Enjoy the first part of this exciting evening~

Hilda adjusted the strap of her mask to make sure it wasn’t bunching up her hair. The warm yellow of the Keaton contrasted so perfectly with her dark locks, it was almost as if she disappeared behind the fox face completely. Her plain, black outfit was accented by a yellow plastic belt, courtesy of Link. Even on the last eyelet, it still was snug against her wide hips. She debated leaving it behind but with the enthusiastic encouragements from both boys, she decided it could stay.

There was a knock on bathroom door, followed by Ravio’s voice.

“You ready to go, Hil?”

Checking herself one last time in the mirror, she sighed. Now or never, she guessed.

Ravio was dressed in what Hilda could only describe as a flamboyant lemur. She snickered, taking in the large, fuzzy ears and the round cheeks. However, her laughter turned hysterical as she noticed the tail.

“What,” she said between giggles, “the hell is that supposed to be?”

Her roommate whined and crossed his arms. “I’m a remlit!”

“That’s absolutely adorable, Rav.” She shook her head, smiling under her mask. “Come on, I don’t want to be the last ones there.”

“Sure,” he grumbled, “Make fun of me and then tell me what to do? You and your stupid, little kitten mask.”

“Keaton,” she corrected, a smug grin hidden behind those smiling eyes.

He sighed, no doubt rolling his eyes under big, painted, brown ones. He whipped out his phone, charms clicking together as he texted Link and walked out.

With her best friend out of view, Hilda’s shoulders dropped along with her smile. Saying she was familiar with parties would be a lie, especially Hyrulean college parties. The only exposure to such events were from TV and movies— teen dramas and Ravio’s cheesy rom-coms, to be exact. Nerves ran through her stomach like ants.

No, this was going to be _fun_ , Hilda reminded herself, no need to over think it. Movies aren’t accurate depictions of life. And besides, they had Link to hover around, a safe bet with these Hylians.

_And Zelda_ , a bashful voice whispered through her mind. She took a breath. Yes, Zelda was going to be there, too.

With one last check of their dorm, she followed Ravio and locked the door.

——

“Do you _really_ think that’s enough vodka?”

Midna draped herself over Sheik’s shoulder as the latter poured an entire bottle into the punch bowl. They shot a glare at her, one that was more of tired annoyance than irritation.

“If you want to help, maybe see if Artemis is around. I’m sure _she_ can give you something to do.”

Midna immediately backed off, raising her hands in defense. “No, no, that’s okay. I’m sure she’s fine without me.” She gave a devilish grin, half concealed by her wolf mask. In a lighter, good-humored tone, she tried to make amends. “You’re doing great, sweetie. Keep up the good work.”

Sheik rolled their eyes under their pure white mask, the truth-seeking eye of the Sheikah staring passively at the Twili. With a chaste kiss on the forehead from Midna, they chuckled.

“You didn’t really pour that _entire_ bottle into there, did you?”

Both of them froze as a stern voice came from behind them. Impa had her hands on her hip, her white-opalescent mask only covering half her face, nose to jaw.

“Relax,” Midna cooed, “You can hardly taste it.”

“That’s a problem,” Artemis’s voice ran out. The younger couple flinched under her glare, her mask mirroring Impa’s from nose to forehead. “People will get drunk a lot easier.”

“That’s the point,” Sheik said cooly. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

They took their girlfriend’s hand and quickly made their get away before their older sister could launch into a lecture. Artemis let out a huff, crossing her arms.

“It _better_ be fine,” she growled as her sibling disappeared into the growing crowd of college kids.

...

Ishto’s hands were already on Zelda’s waist as they weaved through the party. She was pleasantly surprised when she discovered that, yes, the beak of her mask could fit a straw through it. She was currently on her second hard lemonade, quickly sucking down the first one with ease. She leaned her back against Ishto’s chest, the faux-leather of her costume squeaking as she moved.

Getting dressed in her outfit was an ordeal, to say the least. It took a full 20 minutes to squeeze into the skin tight catsuit that came with the mask, apparently the thing female skullkids wear according to the costume store. It was snug, sliding over her curves and giving the illusion that she was more voluptuous than she really was. The deep v-neck wasn’t the most practical covering for the autumn season, but she was committed. Besides, the party was mostly indoors, right? Just in case, she did bring a cardigan. Her hair was in a tight bun and tucked under an orange beanie, a replacement for a skullkid’s large hat, so at least her ears wouldn’t be cold.

Already regretting the bra she was wearing as it dug into her ribs, her eyes scanned the main hall for a familiar head of dark purple hair. She silently cursed herself for not asking what Hilda was coming as, her excitement over coming her practicality. Hopefully she would be able to find her.

Her thoughts were cut off as Ishto’s lips found her neck, his mask pushed to the side. She shivered, delighted by the touch.

“Darling,” he cooed, “I’m going to get another cider. Would you like more lemonade?”

She shook her head, shaking the can in her hand to show it was still enough. Another kiss on her throat and Ishto’s hands left her waist.

“I saw Kass before,” he said, “I was thinking about hanging around him for a bit. He’s still just a freshmen.”

“Sounds good,” she chirped, “I’ll go see how everything’s fairing with the others. Don’t get into trouble.”

He chuckled and moved his mask back over his face. “The same goes for you, my mischievous little imp.”

She giggled, taking another long sip of her drink as he made a show of looking her up and down. With a quick push to his chest, she sent him away. With him finally gone, she let out a breath that was holding her stomach in. Shoulders more relaxed and her softness of her belly returning, the wire of her bra made itself known again. She frowned, sucking the last of her lemonade down before making her way through the house.

…

Link, much to Hilda’s dismay, was back to only using his hands to communicate. Between the excitement of going to a ‘real life party’ and ‘spending the night with his two favorite people’, Ravio wasn’t a reliable translator for him. It was a pity, really. Hilda was starting to like the Hylian’s quick come backs to her snark.

He was wearing a mask that resembled a hawk, beak hooked over his nose and the eyes sharp and angry. It was slightly amusing, such a serious expression on the boys still soft face, his pouty lips contrasting so strongly with the harsh drawn feather-brows. It was obvious that the poor guy was miserable, apparently more anxious about going to this party than Hilda was. All hopes of having a safe port with him was gone; he clearly had about as much experience with these kinds of things as the Loruleans.

Hilda at least had another hope for assistance and it was currently disguised as a skullkid.

“Rav,” she said loudly, almost shouting to be heard over the music, “I’m going to see if I can find Zelda. You two go have fun.”

Ravio quirked his head to the side, a perfect replication of a puzzled dog that paired perfectly with his rimlet mask. Before he could hold her back, she disappeared into the sea of drunk students, aiming straight for the kitchen.

Her first stop, naturally, was the table that was fully stocked with alcohol. Couldn’t let her nerves get the best of her, right? Grabbing the first thing she saw— a bottle of hard cider —she popped off the cap and drank. It was far too fruity for her tastes, the apple tart and overwhelming, but she wasn’t really in the mood to be picky. It was going to get the job done and she couldn’t complain.

“Was that the last one?” A guy asked behind her.

Hilda sighed, not yet ready to talk to anyone. “Yep.”

She turned to leave, only to be stopped by the guy’s ridiculous costume. He was wearing a featureless black and purple mask, feathers jutting out the side to act as wings, and a three-piece suit. She snorted.

“Nice outfit,” she said smoothly, “What are you supposed to be? A half-hatched egg?”

He didn’t answer, which Hilda was expecting. She tried to walk forwards, but the damn guy sidestepped, cutting her off again.

“You’re that Lorule girl, aren’t you?”

His voice sounded impatient, asking a question though he seemed to already know the answer. Hilda glared up at him, hidden but still heated. When she didn’t answer, the man continued.

“Yeah, you are. Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m apparently ‘that Lorule girl’. You just said it yourself.” She couldn’t help herself as she snapped back, trying again to leave. The jerk wouldn’t let her.

“What’s your _problem_?” He asked, a sharp bite to his question.

She scoffed. “What’s my problem? I don’t _have_ a problem.” Her accent was coming stronger, her nerves getting the better of her. “I mean, besides some oaf cornering me over a fucking drink and a joke.”

“I meant what’s your problem with Zelda,” he snapped.

She paused, the grip on her bottle tightening.

_Oh_ , she thought bitterly, _This must be Ishto. Wonderful._

“You better stay away from her, Helga.” He leaned forwards, his mask dangerously close to hers. “She shouldn’t hang around nasty bitches like you _._ She’s too nice, too pure.”

Hilda saw red.

Without a second thought, the bottle of apple cider was dumbed straight onto Ishto’s shirt. He yelped, jumping back before shouting a colorful list of words at her. She shoved the empty bottle into his hands, not bothering to see if he was holding it before she let go.

“Zelda’s a grown-ass adult, you slimy little creep,” she growled lowly, “And she can make her own gods damn decisions of who she hangs out with.”

Ishto sneered under his mask, about to shoot something back. He was cut off by a sharp finger jabbed into his chest. With gritted teeth and a sneer, Hilda seethed out her final words in her own tongue.

“ _Et je m’appelle Hilda_ , _salaud_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~I made Lorule's language French because reasons, but I didn't base anything off of French culture with this. Just saying. Good? Good.~
> 
> (Basic translation: And my name's Hilda, bastard)
> 
> FUN FACT: I named the boyfriend Ishto after the Ishto Soh Shrine in botw. It's the shrine thats on that garbage island because even though he seems okay most of the time, he's still trash. 
> 
> Impa's and Artemis's masks are the couple's mask from MM, cut horizontally because I just think that would be neat
> 
> [Ko-Fi](https://ko-fi.com/shirebeast)

**Author's Note:**

> Preppy girl x goth girl is my favorite trope and no you can't change my mind.


End file.
